FSE

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The noise from the weapons drowned me out as I kicked the windowless door across the hall open. Thankfully, this door only took one kick. Metal flew past my head and torso. All it would take was one lucky shot and I would have been dead. I winced for a moment as one of the bullets grazed my left leg. The excitement of the situation dulled the pain, though and I ducked back into Taylor's cell. It was easier to pick him up with adrenaline pumping through my system. I dove across the smoke-filled hallway into the newly opened room. Taylor gurgled something unintelligible as I gently set him on the ground. He was free of any wounds, thank god. I closed the door behind me and locked it; looking around to figure out where I was. I had hit the mother lode. Palates of drugs filled the room. It appeared to be a storage warehouse for their merchandise. I could see a few forklifts at the end of the room in front of a large, steel, garage style door. That was my ticket out of this madhouse. I knelt next to Taylor.

"Sorry, Frank," I said as I ripped off a scrap of his clothes. He mumbled something in response. His eyes were both closed and he looked like he was drifting off to sleep. I shook him.

"Hey. I need you to stay with me, alright? Don't fall asleep, Frank."

He nodded slowly and his eyes opened droopily.

"Jesus, what did they shoot you up with?"

I tied the scrap of cloth around my leg over the fresh wound. I could still here the morons beyond the door unloading into the hallway. I guessed Kurbin was probably heading for the nearest exit as well. Fucking coward. Sure I was running away as well. I wasn't stupid. Facing that many guys with guns head on would have been suicide. I hoisted Taylor onto my back.

"Hang on, Frank," I said.

I began jogging towards the garage style door quickly. I reached the first forklift and a side door to my left opened. My gun fired and the guard in the doorway fell backwards, a look of surprise frozen on his face. I pushed a button next to the garage door with an "open" sign next to it. That was convenient. The door slid upwards slowly and I ducked under it; careful not to hit Taylor's head. A long cement tunnel angled up from the door. I started walking. I hated being in the rescuing business. Life was so much easier when you only had to worry about your own well being. I could see where the tunnel ended, but there was no night sky. Another concrete ceiling was visible, though.

"H-Harris..." Taylor mumbled in my ear.

"What about him?" I asked.

"Set... me-" He coughed.

"Hey, take it easy, Frank. You can tell me all about it after I get you out of here in one piece, alright?"

I crested the top of the incline and realized that we were in an old fashioned parking garage. There were a few cars parked there and several delivery trucks. I quickly ducked behind a concrete pillar as Kurbin came running from one of the exits. He was alone. What a dumbass. I gently set Taylor down behind the pillar.

"I'll be right back," I whispered.

I quietly followed Kurbin. The old man was fiddling with the keys to his car. I approached softly behind him; pistol held ready.

"Going somewhere?" I asked.

He let out a tiny shriek and spun around. His hands were raised defensively as he cowered.

"Please don't kill me!"

I rolled my eyes.

"I just want information, you stupid fuck."

He seemed to relax slightly.

"W-what do you want to know?" His eyes were darting to the sides as if trying to find a way out of the situation.

"How is Domingo involved in all of this?" I asked.

"He endorsed our campaign," Kurbin said. "Caroline doesn't know, though. I thought that slandering Taylor would please him, but he was so angry for some reason."

"So you thought that kidnapping Taylor and torturing him was a good idea? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"No! No, that was all Harris's idea! He wants to help me get back on Domingo's good side."

"You're more of an idiot than I thought. I was wrong. I guess you don't know anything after all."

I lowered my gun and put it back under my coat.

"You... you're not going to kill me?" He asked.

"It would be like killing someone with a broken leg," I said.

"Well that is a shame, Wesson."

His voice was more confident now. I narrowed my eyes. Kurbin's hand moved much faster than I thought he was capable of. I reached in my coat again; wincing as a sharp pain jabbed into my upper right arm. He laughed as my gun shot him; a stupid smile plastered to his dead face. I looked at my arm and cursed as I saw the empty syringe dangling from it. I had no idea what had been in it. I wasn't sure I wanted to know. I gritted my teeth; yanking the syringe out and jogging back to Taylor. I hoped the fox knew more than the fat fuck lawyer had. I picked Taylor up from the ground and he looked at me with dazed eyes as I carried him to Kurbin's car. I took the keys and laid Taylor on the back seat. My head started to feel funny as I sat down behind the wheel. This was going to be an interesting drive. I really hoped the drug wasn't a hallucination agent. The fog in my brain didn't go away no matter how much I shook my head. I pulled the silent car out of the garage and began the long drive back to my apartment. There was nowhere else for Taylor to go. I chuckled to myself for no reason and blamed the drugs. The streets were thankfully quiet on the outskirts of the city, but when I stopped myself from driving into a building, I decided that it might be better to find a motel or something to spend the night. I remembered seeing one on my way to the cathedral from the transport station. It was tricky driving. I had to shake myself and open the windows to stay focused. After what seemed like ages, I realized I was lost. I pulled the car into a charging station and wobbled inside the attached convenience store. The human cashier gave me a sidelong glance.

"Do you... have Clearol?" I asked.

The cashier rolled her eyes and sighed. Handing me a small bottle.

"Ten ninety-five," she said.

I opened the bottle and took three pills, fumbling in my pocket for my credit card. She swiped it for me and I left the store. The car's backseat looked so inviting, but I stopped myself from climbing in. I didn't want to disturb Taylor who was already sleeping soundly. Instead, I made myself as comfortable as possible in the driver's seat; reclining the chair as far back as it would go. My eyes drooped as the Clearol started to work..."

***

"Oh stop being so dramatic, fool," Karl says. "You were drugged by a crazy fat guy. So what? You haven't found anything out for certain since your investigation began. You're just running on instinct and assumptions."

"Most detective work is based on instinct and assumptions, Karl. But then again, you wouldn't know that, would you?"

We are standing in front of an abandoned gasoline station. It looks as if the station had been shut down right after all cars became electric. We had been walking for almost a half hour. Karl pushes me inside and my eyes slowly adjust to the dim light. The room smells of mildew and a more sinister odor of decay. There is an empty chair sitting in the middle of the cleared out room. The chair looks very old and red stains mar the floor around it. How inviting. Karl shoves me into the chair; making the pain in my arm and ribs return with fiery vengeance. He pulls over a metal, folding chair from the wall to my left. He sits in it; crossing his legs. His pistol is pointed directly at my chest. He digs into his pocket and pulls out a pack of German cigarettes. They have been illegal in the states for years because of their tendency to be laced with other narcotics besides nicotine. He offers me one, but I shake my head. He shrugs and puts the fag in his mouth. I chuckle to myself at the innuendo and he glares at me.

"Are you going to shoot me now or will you let me finish my story first?" I ask.

"Wesson, Wesson," Karl chides as he lights his cigarette. "Shooting is so... mundane. You should know I haven't believed a single word of what you've said so far. Besides I think it will be much more fun to... extract the information from that brain of yours in the most painful way possible. After all, you did kill two of my best men."

I laugh.

"Those pushovers were your two best? Your training has gotten soft, Karl. Besides you know I was in the Knights. Did you forget I was trained to resist torture?"

Karl smiles eerily.

"Oh I won't be torturing you, Wesson, but you will get to watch."

He continues smiling as he takes a drag of his cigarette letting the gravity of what he said sink in. With every passing second, I want to plant my foot in his face even more.

"Now. Please continue your exciting story. I want to know how it ends."

"Fuck you." I say.

"All out of witty quips, Wesson? Don't you want to finish telling me what happened?"

I might as well finish the tale. At the very least it would postpone the inevitable a little while longer. Maybe I could think up a way out of this mess in the meantime. I grimace at Karl and nod.

"So where was I?"

"You had a strange dream." Karl says; taking another drag.

"Right," I say. "Well the dream isn't really important I guess. I woke up feeling very uncomfortable..."

***

The sun slapped me awake in the driver's seat of Kurbin's car. My head felt like I had been trapped inside a pipe organ for several hours. I groaned from the pain and sat up slowly; resetting the seat's position. I opened the pill bottle and forced myself to swallow another Clearol. I looked at my watch. It was two in the afternoon. As I rubbed my eyes to get rid of the grit and blurriness, I looked in the back seat. Taylor was gone.

"Oh fuck me..." I said as I got out of the car.

I had to steady myself against the vehicle, though as the discomfort in my head was fucking with my balance. The sun was bright as hell above me as if mocking me and my circumstance. I couldn't see any sign of Taylor in the fuel station and I kicked the car in frustration; turning to look out at the dilapidated buildings for any sign of orange fur.

"Something wrong, Nate?"

I whirled around at the voice and saw the fox standing behind me holding two cups of coffee from the station convenience store. He handed me one.

"I figured you would want one," he said. "I had to use your credit card, though. I hope you don't mind."

He blushed and looked away; sipping the hot drink. He shivered slightly and I put the cup down on the roof of the car; shrugging my coat from my shoulders.

"Here," I said as I threw the coat over him. "You need this more than I do."

He smiled weakly.

"I've got thicker fur than you, though." He handed me back my card and I took it.

"Thanks. I'll live."

I slowly sipped at the coffee and leaned against the car. The pain in my head ebbed slowly until it was a dull thud every few seconds and I could think clearly again.

"So Taylor, what were you going to tell me about Harris last night?"

The fox grimaced.

"That mother fucker set me up."

"Why?"

Taylor shrugged.

"I don't know why. He probably wants the presidency. What better way than to make me disappear just before the election?"

"Alright, but what's the deal with Kurbin?"

"That asshole is fucking nuts. He was trying to de-animalize me without surgery. He hates us that much it seems."

He gestured to his patchy fur. I grimaced.

"He was fucking nuts, you mean."

Taylor's mouth hung open. I sipped my coffee and looked out over the wasteland that was all that was left of Meridian's poor district.

"Y-you killed him?"

I nodded. Taylor fell silent.

"Come on," I said. "I'll take you back to the station. It's probably safer there than at your HQ."

Taylor nodded and walked around the car; climbing into the passenger seat as I sat behind the wheel once again. I thought about refueling, but the car was at half charge so I didn't have to. I pulled out of the station's parking lot and merged onto the causeway nearby. I turned on the heater to help Taylor warm himself from the cold October wind.

"Taylor," I said. "I need to know if you heard anything about Anthony Domingo while you were in there."

He shook his head.

"Sorry, Nate. I did hear something about a meeting at Kurbin's law offices tonight, though. Does that help?"

"It just might," I said. "Who else was working at that lab besides Kurbin?"

"I'm not sure. He was the only one who... worked on my regularly."

His voice wavered.

"I'll stop asking you questions, but you should know that they're going to start right back up again when we get to the station."

Taylor sighed.

"It figures. You know I never really wanted to be a politician."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I just did it because Regina talked me into it. My first, losing campaign was all her doing."

"Is that so?" Regina was a lead I hadn't pursued or thought about.

"Her ideas were too radical. She was bitter about being animalized. I always wanted to be a fox anyway, though. So after I was animalized, she talked me into running again on a less dramatic platform."

"What would you be doing instead of politics?" I asked.

Taylor shrugged.

"I would be living a normal life I guess for a gay fox."

I chuckled and Taylor cracked a genuine smile.

"I know it sounds weird when I say it that way," he said. "I really wanted to be a rock star. I figured a politician can be just as famous, though I don't really care for all of the celebrity."

I nodded.

"I don't like the spotlight much myself," I said.

Taylor grinned.

"No, I don't suppose a man like you would."

We sat in silence for a few minutes; the cars whizzing by us. I was driving at patrol speed. There was no reason to draw attention unnecessarily. I looked out at the sparkling silver of Meridian City. If I didn't know any better I would have thought that such a beautiful city would be perfect. I bet that's what people think when they first arrive. But the city has a way of swallowing your dreams and leaving you with nothing. Meridian is a cruel place.

"Nate?" Taylor asked.

"Yeah?"

"Do you like me?"

"Where did that come from?" I countered.

"I'm just thinking," he said. "A lot of people hate politicians. I don't want to be hated."

"I don't hate you," I said.

"But do you like me?"

I sighed.

"It shouldn't matter if I do or don't, but I think you're alright."

Taylor frowned.

"Only alright?"

"Look, if you ask a loaded question, you're going to get a vague answer."

"I guess I should just give up on you, then."

I shook my head.

"I don't think we're talking about the same thing here."

"Well, if you didn't guess, you are the kind of guy that I fall for."

"Dark and mysterious?" I asked.

"More like cool and in control," Taylor said.

I laughed.

"I'm not in control by any means. I just act like I am because it makes situations easier to deal with. It also keeps people from panicking."

Taylor smiled slightly.

"I wish I had that talent. Whenever something unexpected happens I become a nervous wreck. I would be a terrible president."

"I don't think so," I said. "I think you would lead to the best of your ability and that you would make calculated decisions. But you do have to ditch that extra baggage following you around."

"You mean Harris, right?"

"Him and Regina. I'll have to have a talk with her about what's going on. You should make your own choices. Don't let people push you around."

"Easy for you to say. You're too tough to let people make your decisions for you."

"That may be, but it's awfully hard to keep up good relations with people when you've got armor like mine."

Taylor nodded.

"I can imagine."

The car pulled up outside of the Grover District Police Station and I turned it off.

"Well. Here we are. You should talk to Chief Burke. He'll be in his office. The secretary, Tina can show you the way there if you can't find it."

"You're not coming in with me?"

I shook my head.

"Sorry, but I really need to figure this thing out."

"Maybe we could share a few drinks after you're done," Taylor smiled. "You know, like friends should."

I nodded, but I was still uncertain. I didn't know what the outcome of this case would be.

"Sure," I said.

Taylor smiled again as he stepped out of the car. He started to take my coat off and I held out my hand.

"Keep it," I said.

"Thanks."

I watched him enter the police station door before turning the vehicle back on again and driving away towards Taylor HQ. Regina and I were going to have a little chat. The drive to the headquarters was uneventful and I was imagining what she would say to me when I confronted her. It actually made me wonder why she hired me in the first place. Was she hoping that I wouldn't be able to get into Kurbin's office? Was she hoping that I would concentrate on Alice the whore and ignore all of the other clues? I would have been a terrible investigator if that were the case. She must have been up to something else. Otherwise, the answer would be too easy. Sometimes I wished everything was that simple. I finally arrived outside of Taylor HQ as the sun started to set behind the tall metal giants of Meridian City. I marched inside. The place was a ghost town. Desks were empty as if people had stopped in the middle of what they were doing and left. There were papers strewn about the room. The Taylor 2247 sign was ripped out of the ceiling and lay motionless on the floor like road kill. It looked like a raid had taken place. There was a light on in one of the offices in the back of the room so I carefully made my way there. Peeking through the crack in the door I saw Regina digging through one of the filing cabinets. She was the only one there it seemed. Perfect. I pushed open the door.

"Looking for something?" I asked as I pulled my gun from its holster and pointed it at her.

She whirled around; startled.

"W-Wesson?"

"No I'm the fucking grim reaper and I'm pissed off. Answer my questions and maybe I won't have to shoot you."

"What are you talking about?"

"Let's start simple, hm? Why did you really hire me?"

She slowly stood from the floor, but my gun followed her. I could feel the murderer twitching in my hand; itching for more blood.

"Wesson, you're acting crazy-"

"Crazy is when you get shot in the leg because you won't answer me questions. Why did you really hire me?"

"I already told you, I thought Kurbin and Sweeney were going to slander Taylor."

"That's bullshit," I said. "You knew they were going to slander Taylor. I also think you knew how."

"I swear I didn't!"

"Then why were you completely un-surprised about the news? Furthermore, I think you helped Harris send Taylor to Kurbin's little madhouse known as Services and Exports Limited."

"What!?" She actually looked genuinely surprised for a second, but I didn't second guess myself. She had to be involved deeper than she was letting on.

"Why would I want to send Taylor there?" She was getting angry now, but that's what I wanted. People slip up when they're scared and angry.

"Oh so you know about it, then."

"I knew Kurbin had a drug lab, yes. In fact we were going to inform the news media about it right before election week to tip the scales in our favor."

"Taylor says Harris sent him there and Kurbin was trying to de-animalize him."

Regina's face twisted into a mask of horror and rage.

"That mother fucker! Is Taylor alright?"

"Emotionally, no, but he is missing fur in some places," I said. My nose and ears twitched. Something wasn't right about this. Maybe it was time for a change in tactics. "Why did you choose Harris of all people as Taylor's running mate? And don't give me some shit about Taylor choosing him because I know you are the brains behind this fiasco."

She looked at the floor and smiled.

"It seems you're smarter than I gave you credit for, Wesson."

There it was; the bait and switch. She continued.

"Harris wasn't chosen. He donated most of the money we have to this campaign. He bought his place as Taylor's running mate. I've been planning to get rid of him, but then Taylor disappeared and that screwed everything up. It seems Harris knew more about my plans than I thought."

I narrowed my eyes at her. My tail was going nuts behind me; trying to tell me something about the situation. I decided to listen to it.

"Who are you really working for?" I asked.

Regina laughed; her rabbit ears sticking straight up.

"You really don't know that yet?" She said. "Well maybe I was too hasty, thinking you were smart."

My Readycell started ringing. Talk about bad timing. Regina smiled at me in a sickeningly pleasant way.

"You should probably answer that," she said. "It's an important call. If you'll excuse me, I have a meeting to attend in an hour and I need to find something before I do."

She turned around again and resumed her digging through the filing cabinets. I cursed under my breath, stepped out into the dark main room of the headquarters and answered the phone.

"What is it?"

Michelle's shaky voice came through the line in a whisper.

"Nate? Oh thank god you picked up!"

"What's wrong, Michelle?" I asked.

"Someone broke into our house! Robert went down to try and deal with it ten minutes ago and he hasn't come back. Oh god, I told him not to go... Please Nate, I'm scared."

"Stay where you are. I'll be there as fast as I can. Michelle, don't let Rocky do anything stupid. Stay put, and hide if you can."

"Please hurry, Nate. I think I hear them on the stairs!"

"I'm coming, Michelle. Hang tight."

We both hung up at the same time and I ran out of the building. Regina would have to wait. Firing up the lawyer's car, I sped down the road towards the Riverside district. I didn't know what I would do if I lost Michelle as well. I might go crazy and just shoot everyone like she had said. Luckily; Riverside wasn't that far from the Taylor HQ. The sun had disappeared completely behind the stoic, metal sentinels by the time I had reached the Riverside district. Darkness covered the streets lined by wealthy houses. Most of them had security lights shining up at them; creating an eerie sight as I drove by. I had slowed down when I entered the district. I didn't want to alert the criminals if they were still there. I spotted the broken door to Michelle's mansion and stopped the car. I crept up to the entrance; hugging the right hand wall. The building was silent. It was a mocking tone. I moved inside; stepping over what remained of the door in the process. The house was dark and lifeless. I was standing in the foyer. A large staircase was in front of me and I could see the top floor by the light that filtered in through the upstairs windows. The bottom floor was shrouded in darkness, but I could barely make out some other doors that had been broken in. I pulled my small flashlight from my pocket; shining it on the floor in front of me. I grimaced. A deep crimson trail led from the center of the room to the bottom of the stairs; a human arm protruding from the darkness beyond them. I moved my light to get a better look, hoping it wasn't Michelle. A male face with brown hair and dead eyes looked up in horrified surprise at me. I guessed it was Robert. It looked like he had been beaten with something blunt before they had shot him. There was a thud from upstairs and I silently ascended. One of the doors was open a crack and I peeked inside; hiding my light. There was someone moving in the room. My gun slid from its holster; craving blood. I saw their fist rise into the air. The door was flung open; my light hit the intruder before his fist fell. He looked up at me in shock; letting go of Michelle's hair as he did. He was wearing a black mask, but he was clearly human. His hand moved to his waist, but I was faster. He shrieked as a bullet from my gun hit his wrist.

"Mother fucker!" He yelled; dropping to his knees.

"She had better be alive, you son of a bitch," I said.

"Look who's talking, mutt."

I shot him in the knee and he shrieked again.

"Who sent you?" I asked.

His cries had turned into soft whimpers of pain.

"D-Domingo did."

"Of course he did. Where did he take Rocky?"

"I don't fucking know."

I shot him in the other knee. He fell to the floor whimpering pitifully.

"It will be over sooner if you tell me what I want to know," I said. "Where is your rendezvous point after you're done here?"

"Fuck you!" He yelled.

"Wrong."

I shot him in the shoulder this time, right between the collar bone and his shoulder blade.

"Son of a bitch!" He screamed.

"It hurts doesn't it?" I asked. "Where is your rendezvous point?"

"Ok, ok!" He said, sobbing from the no doubt excruciating pain. "We were supposed to meet at the Kurbin law offices at nine."

"Thank you," I said; moving passed him to check on Michelle. She was still breathing, but shallowly. "You are very lucky she is still alive." I told him.

I holstered my weapon and flashlight; gathering Michelle into my arms. I saw the thug trying to reach for his gun, but the pain stopped him.

"I wouldn't do that," I said. "Your shoulder is probably shattered. Moving it might puncture your lung with the shards of bone and then no medic would have enough time to save you."

"You can't just leave me here!" He screamed as I headed for the door.

"You bet I can," I said. "The police might show up sometime tomorrow if anyone bothers to call your crime in. You might have better luck if you make noise. I personally hope you don't last the night."

He screamed obscenities after me as I left the house. In the light of the street lamps I could see that Michelle was in very bad shape. Like Robert, she had been beaten severely and she was losing a lot of blood. I gently placed her in the back seat of Kurbin's car and drove quickly for the nearest hospital. For the first time in my life I prayed. I also cursed myself for thinking that she would be safe when Domingo was after my blood. Thankfully, there were no shortages of hospitals in the Riverside district. I pulled up to the emergency room entrance; cutting off an ambulance in the process. I didn't care. I got out of the car and threw the back seat door open. A security guard was yelling at me.

"Hey!" He called. "You can't park there, man!"

I spun around; Michelle bleeding onto my coat and shirt.

"Like hell I can't! This woman needs help!"

He stopped coming towards me and nodded; turning around to go inside. He emerged seconds later with two EMTs and a gurney. They placed Michelle gently onto it and one of them wheeled her through the sliding doors. I watched her go as the other EMT turned to me for information.

"What is her name?" He asked.

"Michelle Clark," I said.

I tried to hide the pain I was feeling, but my eyes must have betrayed me.

"And how long have you been married, Mr. Clark?"

"What? Oh, we're not married. I'm just a friend."

"Oh, my apologies. What is your name, sir?"

"Nate Wesson."

"Thank you Mr. Wesson. We will do everything we can to help Ms. Clark."

I nodded, turning away from him as he walked back into the building. I drove away towards the Kurbin and Partners Law Firm building. Someone was going to be in a lot of pain before the night was through. The lights of Meridian glittered around me, but I didn't care. They were a minor annoyance; distractions waiting for someone to take their bait. I would have none of that. My intentions were clear and focused. There was nothing that could sway me from my goal. The dark metal giant that was the Kurbin Law Firm stood tall in the black night. There was one light on near the top floor of the building. It must have been on in Kurbin's board room. The security lights surrounding the giant were shining up at the reflective windows; now a collage of sickening color. I pulled up outside of the building and left Kurbin's car. Other vehicles zoomed by on their way to god knew where. I couldn't give two flying shits. I pushed my way through the revolving doors and found myself in the familiar marble lobby. There was no one in sight. Perfect. My pistol practically whined under my arm. It wanted blood. I planned on giving as much as I could. The stairs were as barren as the lobby had been, but it was still a long hike up to the tenth floor; longer it seemed than I remembered from my first visit. The tenth floor was just as dark as the lobby. The receptionist's desk was empty. However, further down the hallway, a bar of light attracted my attention to Kurbin's board room door. I tried the door to his office proper and found it unlocked. Kurbin's office had been ripped apart. Someone had clearly been searching for something. Filing cabinets were emptied onto the floor; his desk had been tipped over; the books had all been removed from the shelves and opened. I wondered if whoever searched the office found what they were looking for. I silently made my way to the only other door in the room; leaning down next to it to listen in. Regina's voice was unmistakable. There were also a lot of male voices as well. One of the older sounding men spoke next.

"Kurbin's death should scare all of us! What if someone knows? They were able to find the lab and kill Kurbin even behind all of those guards we gave him!"

"The guards I gave him you mean," another male voice said.

"That still doesn't change the fact that you sent Taylor to that lab without notifying me first!" Regina yelled. "There was no reason to torture him like that!"

"Actually, reversing animalization will be my top priority when I become president." The first voice said. "There is no reason for civilians to be animalized. It only has military applications, not cosmetic ones."

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Regina said. "The freedom to choose what you look like is a basic human right!"

The second voice chimed in again. I tried to look through the keyhole to see some of what was going on. I saw a very intimidating human sitting at the head of the table. Regina was on her feet and glaring angrily across the table at Ben Harris. The human at the head of the table was flanked by none other than Ace and Garth. He must have been Anthony Domingo. There were some other humans, all male sitting around the table as well. I guessed they must have been Domingo's lieutenants or something.

"Boys, please shut her up. This is not a political meeting." Domingo said.

"Hey! Let go of me!" Regina shouted. A knot formed in the pit of my stomach as Ace and Garth easily picked her up. I had a very bad feeling about this. "What are you doing! Wait! Stop!"

There were some scuffling noises as they pulled her out of my view. I moved; trying to see what was going on. I heard a crash of glass and a scream that quickly faded into the distance. There went the rest of my payment. Ace and Garth resumed their positions next to Domingo. The table was deadly quiet.

"What are we going to do about Kurbin?" Harris asked.

"Do?" Domingo said. "We aren't going to do anything. Why are you so eager to have competition in this political race? There is no one who can challenge you in this race now that Kurbin has been removed."

Harris nodded and sat back in his chair a glimmer of a smile forming on his lips.

"Now," Domingo continued. "It was so nice of Regina to bring the contract of your campaign to us, wasn't it Harris? But I require a new clause be added."

Harris blinked.

"What clause is that, Mr. Domingo?"

"A clause that renders all final decisions that you will make, mine."

So that was it. Domingo wanted total control. I was determined to end him before that happened.

"I'm not sure I understand." Harris was an idiot.

"I will be making all of your decisions for you on matters that concern me."

"But that would-"

"Give me control of the nation for the most part, yes."

"What if I don't agree to it?"

"Well I'm afraid that the media won't be able to resist telling a story about a promising politician who spiraled out of control and hung himself out of depression. Those stories are always a suitable distraction, don't you think?"

Harris gulped.

"I'll sign whatever you want me to," he finally said. "But what about the guy who killed Kurbin? Isn't he going to be pissed we attacked his friend's house? What if he comes after us?"

The rest of the table murmured in agreement and offered their own opinions. It was all Domingo could do to calm them down. Harris's statement just made me angrier.

"I would like you all to relax for a moment and think with your heads instead of with your asses for once," Domingo requested. "We do have a problem. But that problem comes from our stabbing each other in the back, not from some lone detective who is on a lucky streak."

I decided that it was a good time to make my entrance. I dramatically kicked open the doors from Kurbin's office; pistol pointed straight at Domingo.

"I'd say you're wrong about that," I said.

"Oh my god, I fucking told you!" Harris shouted at Domingo. "He's going to fucking kill us all! I'm fucking out of here!"

He stood up and turned for the other door, but my pistol was thirsty. A single slug struck Harris in the head; throwing him to the floor just in front of the door. By the time my gun was moving back towards Domingo, Ace and Garth already had theirs at the ready. I dove behind the wall that separated Kurbin's office from the board room as the rain of metal from their automatics perforated the wall and floor where I had been standing seconds before. I scrambled to my feet and bolted out of the office door into the hallway. They were a second behind me and unloaded another volley of death into the hallway wall just behind me as I ran for the stairs. I should have let Harris go. Killing Domingo was more important. Hell, I wanted to kill everyone in that room. I was apparently right about the two assholes that were chasing me, though. That was strangely comforting. It meant that everyone who had died by my hand had deserved it. I was vindicated through their actions, but I had no idea what kind of genetic alterations they had performed. Increased strength was obvious judging from their size. They could have received increased endurance too, which meant there was no way I was going to outrun them. The stairway was a lot easier to run down than it had been to climb up and before long I was back in the lobby. Domingo was probably leaving by another exit. I cursed as I realized I would have to deal with these two before going after the main man. I took cover behind one of the stone pillars. I wondered if bullets would have the same effect on them. Ace, the croc came into the lobby first and I took a few shots at him. He dove to the left, but one of the projectiles caught him in the thigh. I saw him wince, but barely. The mother fuckers would be tough. Ace returned fire and I ducked behind the stone again. I didn't bother trying to count the rounds. They were moving too fast. I just waited for the fire to stop before making my next move. I didn't get the chance, though. Garth had moved around my pillar in an attempt to flush me out. I cursed as I spotted him and pointed my gun in his direction. He grabbed my gun hand and I gritted my teeth as he pried the firearm out of my fingers. I moved my other hand to catch it as it fell, but he grabbed that one as well. I bit him; drawing blood. He just grunted.

"Having fun, mutt?" He asked.

I kicked him in the crotch as hard as I could and I was relieved to see that he felt it. He dropped to his knees; gasping in pain.

"You little shit!" He screamed; lifting me off of the floor. I struggled against him, but there was no way I was winning a strength contest. He slammed me into the stone pillar and I yelped from the sickening crunch I heard coming from my ribs. Garth tossed me onto the floor outside of the pillar's cover, but Ace didn't shoot. I gasped; trying to crawl back to my gun as I saw Garth holding his groin with a mask of excruciating discomfort on his face. Ace rounded the pillar as my hand gripped my pistol.

"Garth! Watch out!" Ace said, but it was too late.

The bear opened his eyes in surprise as my pistol exploded into the left one. His head was thrown back from the force of the slug and he fell backwards onto the cold marble floor. Ace howled at me and charged; throwing his gun to the floor. I stood up, gasping at the pain in my ribs and tried to get out of the croc's way, but he was too fast for me. He hit me full force with his shoulder and I heard more of my ribs break. I sailed across the room; landing on my left arm. It snapped as I rolled over it and I knew it was broken. Luckily I had kept a hold of my pistol in my right hand. Ace approached me slowly; snarling.

"You son of a fucking bitch!" He said. "He was my best friend!"

"Maybe... you should have found a better line of work..." I coughed.

"Fuck you!"

"Same to you, asshole." I rolled over; sending daggers of pain through my arm and ribs. I pointed my pistol at his knees and the gun shivered in my hand. Two shots later; and Ace fell to the ground screaming.

"FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU!" He wouldn't shut up.

"Garth's waiting for you, Ace," I said. "Why don't you go meet him?"

My pistol erupted again; ending Ace's screams. I dragged myself to one of the pillars and sat against it. I pulled a cigarette out of my pocket and lit it. I heard sirens in the distance. Good. I didn't want to have to crawl to the hospital anyway.